


Olivier

by sterling_schreibt



Category: Original Work
Genre: Family Fluff, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28853211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sterling_schreibt/pseuds/sterling_schreibt
Summary: A small glimpse into Max' childhood.
Kudos: 4





	Olivier

"I've looked everywhere," the young girl protested as her older brother sternly scolded her for interrupting his chess game. His grimace softened when she tugged at his sleeve and he stood to take her hand in his.

"Think hard, Max," Barend told his sister. "Where did you last see the horse?"

Bastiaan, deeply in thought, didn't move an inch from his position - hunched over the little table where he had been playing with his twin - but made a noise of amusement.

"I'm surprised it's not with her right now - when are you ever without that little toy?" he asked.

Max shrugged, she didn't know. Olivier, the wooden horse, was her closest companion and usually ventured with her wherever she went, from the breakfast table to her school desk, the tub and finally, back into the tiny stable next to her bed. She assured Barend that she had not seen Olivier anywhere.

"The boys' bathroom?"

"No."

"The kitchen?"

"No."

"Mother and father's bedroom?"

"No! Also, we're not allowed in."

"That's true."

Apart from the master bedroom, the only place off limits for the six children on the van den Broek property was Theodorus Sr.'s office. The library's doors opened and Lodewijk came waltzing in, carrying a heavy stack of tomes.

"Done already?" Barend wanted to know.

"You sound surprised," Lodewijk laughed and set the books onto a chair with a thud. "What's our little one crying about?" he asked when he spotted Max clinging to Barend's leg.

"I lost Olivier," she said, daring Lodewijk to challenge that fact with fierce eyes.

"Oh, goodness. Are you sure?"

"Mhmm."

"And of course that happens tonight when they're gone."

Max, close to tears, shook her head. She was already in her nightgown, and apart from the matter at hand, tired and ready to go to bed. But without Olivier, this seemed impossible. Arnoud, at ten years old the brother closest to her in age, was already asleep, and Theodorus Jr., the oldest of them, had retreated into his study. This left the twins and Lodewijk, who was sixteen, in charge of Max. 

"Alright. I have a plan," he promptly announced.

"Bastiaan, Barend, you search the living-room and the kitchen - and the pantry. I'll take Max and we're looking in the hall and the sitting room. If we don't find Olivier, we'll go upstairs. Just be sure not to make too much noise or Theo will get mad again."

That was a fate they decidedly wanted to avoid.

"Also," Lodewijk narrowed his eyes while his brothers stared at him. "Get some cookies."

Max was thusly taken onto Lodewijk's shoulders and the two went downstairs in search of Oliver. Their house wasn't a messy one - Mr. van den Broek made sure of that - but six children and two adults accumulated a certain homely chaos in which small things such as toys often went missing. 

"Let's see," her brother said, squinting at the mantelpiece.

"That's too high," Max chimed in and he nodded.

"Of course! Anything waist-high, or lower."

Both on their knees, the siblings searched the couch crevices, behind and on top of shelves and chairs, underneath desks, in coat pockets and boots, underneath hats and behind drapes. They found no horse, and the twins, appearing with ruddy cheeks and cookies, but otherwise empty hands, had nothing to show for their attempt. The search party ventured onto the first floor where Max, Arnoud, and the twins slept. Not wanting to wake their youngest brother, the four tip-toed through the bedrooms, but to no avail. Olivier remained hidden.

"I went into daddy's study," Max said when an exhausted Lodewijk put her down and he sighed.

"Oh, well...it's locked now, isn't it?"

"Theo has a key," Bastiaan informed them - but they all knew the oldest van den Broek son would not give them what they needed.

"I can get in either way," Barend said confidently.

"How?"

"I can pick it. I read it in a book about - "

"Oh, well then let's try it!"

Lodewijk eyed the clock with some concern as their parents would come home soon, and one out of four children who were supposed to be sleeping was actually in bed. 

"Hurry up," he told his younger brother.

Said and done, and the four siblings stood in silent awe in Mr. van den Broek's study.

"Don't touch anything," Lodewijk whispered. "Just look."

"Olivier!" Max squeaked as she saw her little horse on a stack of letters. Lodewijk carefully carried her to the oak desk from which she picked her favorite little companion and cast a glance at the elegant signature - a Richard Rochester, who was in a friendly dispute with their father over some archeology business, he assumed - before ushering his brothers outside again.

"If father finds a single cookie crumb on his carpet, we're all dead," he dramatically announced, taking a chocolate-y bite. The twins agreed and rushed off to change and slip under the covers.

Not long after, Lodewijk was reading Max a story to help her fall asleep, their parents returned. A very happy Mr. van den Broek quickly checked on his children and gave Max a kiss on the forehead before retiring to the bedroom, but Margriet van den Broek changed places with Lodewijk and nestled next to Max, taking over storyteller duties.

"I was scared you wouldn't come home," Max told her mother who softly laughed and pulled her only daughter into a tight hug.

"Oh, my little ladybug, I'm always going to be here in time to say goodnight."

She made sure that Max and Olivier were tucked in and fast asleep when she closed the door and joined her husband who was already in bed, reading a book.

"All's well?" he inquiered over his reading glasses.

"I somehow manages to wipe the chocolate from her mouth without her noticing," Margriet told him. 

"Quite a feat."

He kissed her as she huddled closely beside him under the covers, and soon after, as the rest of the house, he too, drifted off to sleep.


End file.
